Verdict day for Ecleo; security up in court

No cameras will be allowed in the courtroom and security measures will be up when a verdict is handed down today in the decade-old parricide case against cult leader Ruben Ecleo Jr., who was accused of killing his wife Alona on Jan. 5, 2002.

Policemen may be fielded as well in the sala of Cebu Regional Trial Court Judge Soliver Peras for the 3 p.m. promulgation of his decision.

Ecleo, who skipped bail and hasn’t attended three hearings in a row, isn’t expected to show up.

His lawyer Orlando Salatandre, in a phone interview, said he informed his client about today’s proceedings.

“This is long-awaited. The time has come. I told him (Ecleo) ‘if you can come.’ It’s up to him. Just in case (he won’t), the lawyer can receive the decision,” Salatandre told Cebu Daily News.

Ecleo, the supreme master of the Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association (PBMA), is facing arrest after the Sandiganbayan found him guilty of overpricing construction supplies during his stint as mayor of San Jose town, Dinagat Islands in Surigao del Norte.

Judge Peras also canceled his bail after Ecleo failed to attend three hearings.

Angelito Bacolod, the younger brother of the murder victim, is hoping for Ecleo’s conviction.

“What we’ve been waiting for has finally come. We are praying to the Lord that justice will be rendered to us,” said Angelito in Cebuano.

Angelito and his four remaining siblings were released from the Department of Justice’s witness protection program last year after they finished testifying in the trial.

Angelito’s siblings—Ben and Evelyn—as well as their parents, Rosalia and Elpedio, were shot dead at home by a gunman in Mandaue City on June 19, 2002, a grisly killing believed intended to scare them off from pursuing the case.

A PBMA member was the main suspect behind the killings, but no charges were filed since the suspect was later killed in a shoot-out with police.

“I still feel the pain of losing my loved ones. It can’t be avoided,” Angelito said.

Lawyer Kit Enriquez, one of six private prosecutors in the parricide case , said Ecleo’s flight is an indication of guilt.

“For sure, he (Ecleo) will be declared guilty. We believe we presented strong evidence which would warrant conviction,” the lawyer said./WITH CORRESPONDENT CHITO O. ARAGON AND CNU INTERN ELAINE BARING